Update on Demolition of Old Bruce Monroe School on Georgia Ave

You can see some photos of the school here. Darren Jones sent a great update on the Columbia Heights Listserv:

Councilman Jim Graham held a meeting about the Bruce Monroe School property on Tuesday, February 16, 2010. The meeting was well attended. Here is some of what we heard from the people from the Deputy Mayor’s Office.

Why hasn’t the school been torn down?

-Demolition was delayed because of asbestos problems.

-The Request for Proposal to build a new school closed on November 16, 2009 with no respondents.

What happens next?

-Demolition of the school should start within the next couple of weeks.

-Demolition will be complete by April 30, 2010.

-The site will be leveled and a new school may not be built for 3-5 years.

-Short-term uses for the property were discussed.

-A basketball court and a tennis court may be built of the front of the property (Georgia Avenue side).

-A parking lot may be built on the Irving Street side of the property. The parking lot will be used by industrial organizations (hospitals, etc.).

What was the community’s reaction?

-The community seemed to like the idea of a temporary tennis court and basketball court. -The community would also like to see a staffed, temporary structure on the property to provide supervision to kids using the site.

-The community was not in favor of a parking lot because of the congestion it would cause on Irving Street, the pollution and hassle it would create in the neighborhood.

When is the next meeting?

-The next meeting is on Monday, March 8. It will start at 7:00 PM. The meeting place will be announced soon and will be held at a location on/or near Georgia Avenue. It will be hosted by Councilman Graham and the Georgia Avenue Community Development Taskforce. Everyone is welcome to participate to try to finalize the short-term plans for the property and to give your ideas and voice your opinions. The Councilman and Deputy Mayor’s Office would also like to hear what you would like to see in a new Bruce Monroe Elementary School.